Radiographs give an excellent over-view of a patient’s abdomen and help to appreciate the overall size and shape of organs in comparison to the rest of the patients’ abdominal organs. Abdominal ultrasound is superior at looking at the inside architecture of abdominal organs and can determine different characteristics of the enlarged spleen or splenic mass that help guide treatment recommendations and provide tentative prognoses.
The most common splenic tumor is the malignant cancer, hemangiosarcoma. This is a tumor of the blood vessels and as a result can easily rupture and cause life threatening bleeding. Unfortunately, diagnosis of a hemangiosarcoma requires tissue analysis (histopathology), which is typically completed with surgical removal of the spleen, and stops the active bleeding. There are less concerning tumors of the spleen that can also rupture (hemangioma, hematomas) that once removed surgically are curative and should not affect your pet’s long term survival. Other tumors include different sarcomas, lymphoma, and mast cell tumors (more commonly in cats). Non-tumor diseases like infection (abscess) and splenic torsion (strangulation of splenic blood vessels), are also causes of an enlarged spleen, necessitating surgery.
The abdominal ultrasound can determine the location of a mass and whether it is associated with the spleen. Unfortunately, tumors of the spleen are reported to be a malignant cancer more often than not. Because tumors of the spleen typically arise from the blood vessels (hemangiosarcoma), the spread or metastasis of the tumor has already occurred at time of diagnosis and or the tumors have ruptured and are actively bleeding into the patients’ abdominal cavity. The liver is commonly affected with metastasis of splenic cancers, so evaluation with an abdominal ultrasound can help determine if this is apparent. Additionally, bleeding into the abdomen from the spleen can be assessed and diagnosed via abdominal ultrasound.
Unfortunately, hemangiosarcoma is a very serious and debilitating cancer. The average patient following a diagnosis of splenic hemangiosarcoma will only have a life expectancy of around 3 months. Chemotherapy may extend survival with hemangiosarcoma and we advise meeting with one of our oncologists after a diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma to see if further treatment would be appropriate for you and your pet. Chemotherapy is well tolerated in our canine and feline patients. They receive intermittent injections or pills on an outpatient basis and only a small percentage (less than 15% will experience nausea, vomiting, or low white blood cells requiring antibiotics. There are ongoing studies and trials occurring nationwide trying to find drugs that could improve survival following a diagnosis of hemangiosarcoma.
The spleen is a tongue shaped organ of the abdomen that acts as a reservoir for blood as well as filters the circulating blood. It removes and recycles old red blood cells and attacks any blood borne pathogens like bacteria and parasites commonly associated with tick borne diseases via its large volume of lymphoid tissue (immune system).
Splenomegaly – What is the spleen?
The spleen is an important component of a pet’s immune system. Indeed, it’s the largest lymphoid organ in the body that essentially acts as a filter. Among its chief functions are:
Causes of Splenic Hemorrhage in Dogs
Traumatic
Spontaneous
Hereditary